News from 2005

The club launched a book of photographs called "A Photographic Jog Through the Past, 1964-2004" in the Munster Arms Hotel in Bandon on Fri 14th Oct. A large number of past and present members were in attendance on the night and all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Speakers included John O'Donovan (Chairman Bandon A.C), Pat Walsh (Treasurer Cork County Board), Don McCarthy T.C. (Mayor Of Bandon) with guest speaker Richard O'Flynn recalling his great times with Bandon A.C. The book is a fantastic collection of old and more recent photo's and if anyone not present on the night wishes to purchase a copy they should be able to buy one in a local bookstore or by contacting a committee member.

Cork County Cross Country Championships, Macroom 9th Oct 2005

The second day of the County Cross Country was hosted by West Muskerry on a tough hilly course in Macroom on the 9th Oct. In the first juvenile race of the day Clare Sexton got off to a flying start and was soon in the lead and she held it all the way to the finish for a great win with Aisling Everard just behind in 3rd place but unfortunately the team was outside the medals. In the boys U10 Bandon had another great individual win with Promise Okafor taking gold and helping the team to 2nd. In the Girls U12 Phil Healy was the first Bandon athlete home in 9th but the team was outside the medals. In the Boys U12 David O'Brien finished in 6th place just ahead of Ciaran Everard who was 7th as the team were 3rd. In the Girls U14 Joan Healy was first home for Bandon in 11th place but the team was outside the medals. In the Boys U14 Sipke O'Shaughnessy was 7th with the team finishing in second place which was a great achievement as all 4 of the Bandon boys were competing up an age group. In the Girls U16 Bandon dominated the race, Lynda O'Donovan was 3rd with 8 Bandon athletes competing, winning gold and silver in the team competition. In the Boys U16 Bandon won bronze in the inter-club helped by an 7th place finish by Alan Coleman. Ronan Duggan was the sole competitor from Bandon in the Boys U18 and although competing up an age group he ran a great race. (Full Results) (Photos)

Cork To Cobh 15 Mile Road Race 2nd Oct

The annual Cork to Cobh 15 Mile Road Race was held on 2nd Oct and Bandon had a number of athletes competing. Joe O'Sullivan finished in an excellent 10th overall in an impressive time of 88mins29sec with Tom Laffan just behind in 14th place in a time of 91mins13sec. Also Kevin Wilmot finished in 53rd, with James Daly in 67th. Well done to them for finishing so high up in this prestigious race which had over 400 finishers.

Cork County Cross Country Championships, Carrignavar 2nd Oct 2005

The first day of the County Cross Country was held in fine weather on a flat track in Carrignavar and as usual Bandon featured prominently in most races. In the first juvenile race of the day Lisa Lovell was 5th and the team were 3rd. In the boys U9 Brian Everard was the sole competitor from Bandon and he finished in 9th place. In the Girls U11 Aisling Everard who was competing up an age group ran a fantastic race to finish in 4th place and the team were 2nd. In the Boys U11 Oisin O'Tuama was the first home from Bandon as he finished in 10th place and the team were 1st. In the Girls U13 Phil Healy was the first home for Bandon in 14th place but unfortunately the team were outside the medals. In the Boys U13 Sipke O'Shaughnessy finished in 3rd and the team were 2nd. In the Girls U15 Ailis Crowley finished 10th and the team were 1st. In the Girls U17 Lynda O'Donovan who was competing up an age group finished an excellent 2nd place but unfortunately Bandon did not have a full team in that age group. In the Boys U17 Ronan Duggan finished 6th and the team were 3rd. In the Novice women's race Collette Tuthil-Hurley was 3rd with Liz Coomey 11th. (Full Results) (Photos)

West Cork Cross Country Championships 25th Sept 2005

The West Cork Cross Country Championships were held in Dunmanway on Sun 25th. With large numbers in most of the races it was a good test for athletes prior to the County Championships which are on the 2nd and 9th October. In the first race of the day the Girls U8 there was impressive performances from Grainne Lucey (1st), Fiona Everard (2nd), Erin Kingston and Katlyn Cross. In the Boys U8 Fiacra Harrington was 5th with good performances also from Ronan Lucey and Diarmuid Healy. In the Girls U10 Clare Sexton won a very close race with Aisling Everard just back in 2nd place, others who ran well included Aideen Caulfield (9th), Kate Toner (10th), Lisa Lovell, Rachel McCarthy, Sinead Caulfield, Keren Chatteron, Fiona Duggan, Naoimi Bikunda and the team took 1st. In the Boys U10 the first home for Bandon was Fintan O'Shaughnessy in 3rd place with Edward Aherne 5th,Colm Kingston 6th and Brian Everard and Liam O'Driscoll also running well the team took 1st place. In the Girls U12 Phil Healy was 4th with Shauna Coveney(8th), Emma Lovell, Orla Cronin, Aoife Lucey, Toni Chatterton, Niamh Mulcahy, Anna O'Driscoll, Laura McSweeney and Miriam Vicente also running well and helping the team to 2nd place. In the Boys U12 Ciaran Everard continued the fine form he showed last year as he ran out the winner in a close race while Oisin O'Tuama was 6th and Robert O'Sullivan 7th with David O'Neill and Thomas McCarthy also finishing well and their team was 2nd. Girls U14 Joan Healy was 6th, Elizabeth Prout (8th) with Joanne O'Regan and Emma Harte also running well as the team were 2nd. In the Boys U14 there were some good performances considering all of the boys from Bandon were competing up an age group, Sipke O'Shaughnessy was 5th and Mark O'Sullivan 6th with John Lucey, Patrick McSweeney and Tadgh O'Donovan running well and helping the team to 1st place. Lynda O'Donovan was 1st in the Girls U16 with Valerie Lynch 3rd, Serena Cross 4th, Kate Harte 5th and Mary Kenneally 6th with the team taking 1st. In the Boys U16 Anthony Hennessy was 2nd with Barry O'Driscoll 6th while in the Boys U20 John Hurley was 2nd with Ronan Duggan 3rd and Michael Hurley 4th as the team took 1st place. In the Senior Womens race Vicky Hennessy was 1st while in the Masters Women's race Grainne Caulfield was 1st. In the Senior Men's race Pat Mulcahy was 3rd with Paul Matthews also running well.

Longford Marathon on 29th August.
Bandon A.C member Joe O'Sullivan made the long trip to Longford recently to compete in the Longford Marathon on 29th August. The trip was certainly worthwhile for Joe as he finished in an excellent 5th place overall with a time of 2hr 45mins and 12seconds. This performance also won Joe the Men's O40 category.

West Cork Schools Cross Country 14th Sept 2005

The 2nd Annual West Cork Secondary Schools Cross Country was held in Dunmanway recently and was a huge success with a large number of schools and pupils turning out on the day. Bandon AC had a number of members in action with win's on the day for Lynda O'Donovan, Ronan Duggan and Anthony Hennessy while Sipke O'Shaughnessy finished in 2nd place in his race, also Pat Hartnett, John Hurley, Michael Hurley, Mairead Roche and Kate Harte finished just outside the medals. The 3rd year Girls team prize was won by a team of "rebels" all of whom are members of Bandon AC, congratulations girls and well done to all who took part.

(Some more photo's from the day)

Riverstick-Kinsale Open Cross Country 11th Sept 2005

At the recent Riverstick-Kinsale Open Cross Country Bandon Athletic Club had a large number of athletes competing. There were top 5 finishes for Aisling Everard, Claire Sexton, Aideeen Caulfield (Girls U10), Lynda O'Donovan, Kate Harte (Girls u16), Ciaran Everard (Boys U12), Spike O'Shaughnessy (Boys U14), Anthony Hennessy (Boys U16) and Ronan Duggan in the Boys U18.
Bandon also won a number of team prizes. Girls U10 1st team included Aisling Everard, Claire Sexton, Aideeen Caulfield Lisa Lovell, Kate Toner, Sinead Caulfield, Karen Chatterton, Sinead Mulcahy, Kate Lovell, Fiona Duggan, Naomi Bikunda. Girls U12 were 3rd and this featured Phil Healy, Emma Lovell, Toni Chatterton, Niamh Mulcahy, Anna O'Driscoll. The Girls U16 were 1st Team with Lynda O'Donovan, Kate Harte, Mary Kenneally. Boys U10 were 1st Team And this included Edward Aherne, Fintan Shaughnessy, Brian Everard, Conor Organ and Liam O'Driscoll. The Boys U12 team was 2nd with Ciaran Everard, Oisin Twomey, Robert O'Sullivan, David O'Neill, Matthew Aherne. Boys U14 were 1st with Sipka Shaughnessy and Mark O'Sullivan. Anthony Hennessy and Barry O'Driscoll were on the boys U16 which were 1st. The Girls U14 team of Ailis Crowley, Caroline Sugrue, Vinny Bikunda and Emma Harte finished 4th team.

Midleton Open Cross County, 4th Sept 2005

Bandon athletes were in short supply at the Midleton Cross County many preferring the sand dunes of Inchydoney instead. However those athletes who did go performed well with impressive performances from Aisling Everard, Robert O'Sullivan, Ciaran Everard and Mark O'Sullivan.

Community Games Finals, Mosney, 28th/29th Aug 2005

Bandon A.C. had three members competing in the recent Community Games National Finals in Mosney. Joan Healy was competing in the U14 100m and after winning her heat and semi-final Joan continued this form to win the Gold in the final. Sinead Caulfield was competing in the U8 80m and she progressed to the final by winning her heat and coming second in her semi-final, in the final she won the Bronze medal. Caroline Sugrue was also competing in Mosney where she took part in the U14 long Puck but finished outside the medals. Well done to the three girls.

National Track and Field League finals, Tullamore, Co Offaly Sunday 21st Aug 2005

Bandon ladies entered a team in the First Division of the National League for the first time and after good performances in round 1 and 2 they qualified for the final in Tullamore. Some excellent results from Rachel Roche, Liz McCarthy-Coomey, Colette Tuttle-Hurley and Carmel McCarthy saw the Bandon team emerge victorious which was a fantastic achievement. (Full results)

West Cork Summer League, Beara 19th Aug 2005

Only a few members made the long trip to Beara for the 2nd leg of the West Cork Summer league. Sean Jackson had a great night winning medals in the sprint, 600m and the long jump. Patrick McSweeney won the Javelin and Laura McSweeney was 3rd in the sprint. Others who performed well but finished just outside the medals in the individual events included Niamh Mulcahy, Sinead Mulcahy, Daniella Jackson and Graham Jackson.

West Wales Vs Munster Vs Leinster. Triangular Match, Kilkenny, August 13th 2005

Ivan O'Brien won his Discus which was a great achievement in this competition. Michelle Hayes competed in the triple jump and finished in 5th place. Lynda O'Donovan was 5th in the hurdles and in the 800m. Chris Spearman was 4th in the 400m and 5th in the Hurdles. Well done to all.

Celtic Games International, Carmarthen 6th August 2005

Congratulations to Sarah Bradfield who was 3rd competing in the Discus for the Irish Team in the 2005 Celtic Games.

Munster 'B' Track and Field Championships, Castleisland 24th July.

After the sunshine in Sligo and Tullamore in recent weeks it was back to more typical Irish weather in wet and windy Castleisland for the Munster 'B' Track and Field Championships on the 24 July. While there were some fine performances by Bandon athletes the day was marred somewhat by miss-information being given to Bandon officials prior to the event which resulted in confusion about the number of events athletes could compete in. This competition was run on a pair's basis with the combined performance determining the results. In the U9's Lisa Lovell and Rachel McCarthy were 3rd in both the Long Jump and the Ball Throw. In the U10's Kate Toner and Sinead Mulcahy were 2nd in the Ball Throw. In the U11 Girls Laura McSweeney and Joan Tyner won the Ball Throw and also qualified for the sprint finals. In the U11 Boys Gerry Crowley and Oisin O'Tuama won the sprint while Robert O'Sullivan and Oisin O'Tuama won the Ball Throw. Thomas McCarthy and Gerry Crowley paired up in the 600m and took 2nd place. In the U12 Girls Toni Chatterton and Phil Healy won the Long Jump and also qualified for the sprint finals. In the U12 Boys Mighty Okafor and Ronan Sheehan won the sprint and took 2nd in the Shot Putt competition. In the U13 Boys Patrick McSweeney and Mark O'Sullivan won the Shot Putt competition while Mark and Ciaran Everard were 2nd in the 600m. There were a number of other impressive performances with some pairings just missing out on the medals. In the relays which were run on a mixed basis of 2 boys and 2 girls Bandon had a number of successes. In the U11 the team of Laura McSweeney, Joan Tyner, Gerry Crowley and Oisin O'Tuama were 3rd. The U12 team of Phil Healy, Toni Chatterton, Mighty Okafor and Ronan Sheehan were 1st. The U13 team of Daniella Jackson, Elizabeth Prout, Mark O'Sullivan and Patrick McSweeney were 3rd.

National Senior Track & Field Championships, 23rd/24th July

Bandon had two athletes in action in the recent All-Ireland Senior Track & Field Championships. Sarah Bradfield was competing in the Discus where she finished 4th, Rachel Roche was competing in the Javelin where she finished 8th and in the Discus where she was 6th. These were very respectable performances from these two young athletes.

West Cork Summer League, Skibbereen 22nd July

Only a small number of Bandon athletes made the trip to Skib for the 1st leg of the Summer Leagues but for most of those who did make the trip it was a worthwhile night with some good quality competition. Some of the results on the night included Lisa Lovell (U10 2nd sprint), Kerin Chatterton (U10 2nd Ball throw), Emma Lovell (U12 2nd Sprint, 4th 600m), Toni Chatterton (U12 1st Long Jump, 4th Sprint), Niamh Mulcahy (U12 3rd Long Jump, 5th Sprint), Laura McSweeney (U12 5th 600m, 6th Sprint, 5th Long Jump, Patrick McSweeney (U14 1st Shot). There was also a number of relay medals won on the night.

All-Ireland Juvenile T&F Championships Sligo 16th/17th July

It was off on a long trip to Sligo on the 17th/18th of July for the second part of the All-Irelands. The Inter-Club relays were held on the Saturday and Bandon had a number of teams competing. The Girls U10 (Clare Sexton, Carla Nicholson, Aoibheann Harte, Kate Toner and sub Fiona Duggan) were 2nd. The Boys U12 (Mighty Okafor, Great Okafor, Ronan Sheehan, Richard Walsh) were also 2nd in their final. In the Boys U13 relay Mighty Okafor ran a great final leg to help the team take 3rd place (Mighty Okafor, Great Okafor, Sipke O'Shaughnessy, Mark O'Sullivan and sub Patrick McSweeney).
In the 4*400m relays the Boys U17 team of Ronan Duggan, Michael Hurley, John Hurley and Chris Spearman were 1st. Other teams who competed well but finished outside the medals were the Boys U16 4*100m, Boys U17 4*100m and the Boys U18 4*400m. The U9-U13 All-Ireland's were held on the Sunday. In the Girls U12 Shot Putt Lyn Bradfield won a Silver Medal. In the Boys U12 Great Okafor won a Silver Medal in the sprint and he was 4th in the Long Jump. In the Girls U13 Shot Putt Tracey Bradfield won the Gold Medal. Bandon had 3 boys competing in the U13 age group, in the Shot Putt Patrick McSweeney took the Silver Medal while Mark Sugrue was 4th narrowly missing out on a Bronze medal. Mark did win a Bronze Medal in the Javelin and he also competed in the High Jump where he was just outside the medals. Sipke O'Shaughnessy won his heat in the hurdles and ran a great race in the final to take the Bronze Medal. Clare Sexton, Carla Nicholson and Promise Okafor were competing In the U10 Awards Scheme where athletes compete in the Sprint, Ball Throw and Long Jump.

It was a fantastic achievement by all these athletes and relay teams to qualify for the All-Ireland's so well done to everyone who competed and congratulations to everyone who won something.

All-Ireland Juvenile T&F Championships Tullamore 9th/10th July
In the U14-U19 All-Ireland in Tullamore Joan Healy had a fantastic double winning Gold in the 200m and Silver in the 80m in the U14 age group. In the Boys U15 Discus Ivan O'Brien won a Bronze Medal. In Boys U17 Steeple-Chase Ronan Duggan won a Bronze Medal and he was also 6th in the Hurdles. Sarah Bradfield won the Gold Medal in the Girls U17 Discus and was also 4th in the Shot. Rachel Roche won a Silver Medal in the U18 Javelin, a Bronze Medal in the Shot and she was also 5th in the Discus. Others who competed well in Tullamore but were outside the medals included Kelly Tobin, Lynda O'Donovan, Chris Spearman, Billy Henchy and Michelle Hayes.

It was an impressive haul of 7 individual medals which were won. (Full Results)

All-Ireland Junior T&F Championships C.I.T Sun 3rd July

Bandon athletes Sarah Bradfield and Rachel Roche were competing in the recent All-Ireland Junior Championships and Sarah won the Discus with an impressive throw of 32.62m and Rachel was 3rd in the Javelin. Very impressive performances, well done to both of them.

Munster Juvenile U14-U19 Track & Field Championship, Castleisland 18th/19th June 2005

A number of impressive performance over the two days, Joan Healy had a fine sprint double winning both the 80m and 200m, Sarah Bradfield won the Discus and was 2nd in the Javelin, Rachel Roche also won her Discus and was 2nd in the Javelin, Billy Henchy was 2nd in both the 100m and 200m. Other medal winners included Ronan Duggan, Ivan O'Brien, Kelly Tobin, Chris Spearman. A number of athletes and relay teams have now qualified for the All-Irelands to be held in Tullamore in July. Results for the U14-U19 age groups

Munster Senior T&F Championships C.I.T Sun 19th June.

Rachel Roche had a very successful outing and she was 2nd in the Javelin and 3rd in the Discus. (Full Results)

County Community Games Sat 18th CIT

Bandon had a number of athletes representing their local area's in the Community Games County Finals on Sat. Well done to everyone who had qualified and a special congratulations to everyone who won something on the day.

County Junior and Masters T&F Championships Fri 17th CIT

Bandon had a number of athletes competing in the County Junior Championship and had medal winners with Rachel Roche
Lynda O'Donovan and Emma Peters.

In the Masters Men events Liam O'Reilly had a double winning the 200m and 800m while John O'Donovan took Gold in the 56Lb Distance

While in the Masters Women events Liz Coomey and Carmel Crowley McCarthy continue to dominate winning a total of 4 Golds, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze on the night. (Full Results)

Munster Juvenile U9-U13 Track & Field Championship, Cork CIT 11th/12th June 2005

Among very tough competition and with large numbers contesting most events Bandon A.C. members performed very well over the 2 days. There was 9 individual medals won with 3 relays teams also among the medals and a host of other performances which saw people finish just outside the medals. A number of athletes and relay teams have now qualified for the All-Irelands to be held in Sligo in July. Results for the U9-U13 age groups

Primary School Sports Thurs 8th Pairc Ui Chaoimh

Bandon had a large number of athletes representing their local schools in the Primary School Sports recently. Well done to everyone who had qualified and a special congratulations to everyone who won something on the day. There were a number of impressive performance from Bandon members, including Joan Healy who won the U13 County Final in impressive style, Clare Sexton who was 2nd in the U9 County Final and from Sipke O'Shaughnessy who was 3rd in the Long Jump, he also qualifed for the County Final and he was also on a victorious relay team.

Courceys Open Sports 29th May 2005

A large number of Bandon athletes made the trip to Ballinaspittle for Courceys Annual open sports and it was a very enjoyable day out for most. A large number of medals and trophies were won. Individual winners included Lisa Lovell, Promise Okafor, Carla Nicholson, Laura McSweeney, Amy O'Connell, Robert O'Sullivan, Mighty Okafor, Great Okafor, Matthew Ahern, Spike O'Shaughnessy, Toni Chatterton, Mark Sugrue, Patrick McSweeney, Phil Healy, Joan Healy, Lorraine O'Brien, Ivan O'Brien, Ronan Sheehan and Padraig Sheehan (Results)

Cork County Junior Track and Field Championships, 27th May, CIT Track.

Bandon had a number of Juvenile athletes moving up in age to compete in the Junior County Championships on Friday night and they have a very successful night. Medal winners included Ronan Duggan, Chris Spearman, Rachel Roche, Sarah Bradfield and Lynda O'Donovan. (Results)

Cork County Senior Track and Field Championships, 22nd May, CIT Track.

Bandon had a number of athletes in action in the Senior County Championships and they had a very successful outing. Medal winners included Liz Coomey, Rachel Roche, Sarah Bradfield and Allar Nurman. (Results)

Cork County Juvenile Track and Field Championships, 15th May, CIT Track.

Another very successful day at the County Championships saw Bandon winning 31 individual medals and 7 relay teams were also amongst the medals. Over the course of the 2 days competition Bandon AC proved its one of the top clubs in the County.

Highlights in the second day included sprint doubles where Joan Healy did the double in the 80m/200m in the Girls U14 while Billy Henchy did the 100m/200m double in the Boys U18 (Full Results) (Photos)

Cork County Masters Track and Field Championships, 13th May, CIT Track.

A very successful outing in the Master Championships saw Bandon winning a number of medals, Liz Coomey won 4 Gold's and 1 Silver, John O'Donovan 1 Gold and 1 Silver and George Bradfield winning 2 Bronze Medals. Well done to Liz who continues to dominate her age group and a special well done to John and George who I believe were competing in County Masters competitions for the first time. (Full Results)

Cork County Track and Field Championships, 8th May, CIT Track.

A very successful first day of the County Championships saw Bandon winning 36 individual medals and 5 relay teams were also amongst the medals. (Full Results)

South Munster Schools Track and Field Championships, 7/14th May, CIT Track.

A number of Bandon AC members were competing for their schools in the South Munster Schools competition. (Full Results)

Munster Junior Track and Field Championships, 1st May, CIT Track.

In the field events Bandon had a number of successes. Rachel Roche won the Javelin and was 3rd in the Discus. Sarah Bradfield was 2nd in the Discus and 3rd in the Shot (Full Results)

West Cork Track and Field Championships, CIT Track 24 April

The second leg of the West Cork Track and Field Championships for the even age groups was held on the 24th April in the CIT Track. Full results will be posted here soon. Bandon retained the trophy for the best overall Club in West Cork.

Leevale Open Sports, 17th April, CIT Track.

A small number of Bandon athletes made the trip to Leevale Open Sports but those who did performed very well in tough competition. Trophy winners included Aideen Caulfield (U9 Sprint), Kate Toner (U10 Ball Throw), Laura McSweeney (U12 High Jump), Patrick McSweeney (U14 High Jump), Joan Healy (U14 Sprint) and Sarah Bradfield (Senior Women's Shot Putt). In the U13 relay the team of Laura McSweeney, Elizabeth Prout, Phil Healy and Naoimi McCarthy were 4th while in the U15 relay the team of Phil Healy, Joan Healy, Elizabeth Prout, Naoimi McCarthy were 3rd. (Full Results)

Bandon Opinion/First Active Sports Awards, 11th March. Munster Arms Hotel Bandon

Congratulations to Rachel Roche who was a recipient of a Juvenile Sports Award at the recent Bandon Opinion/First Active Awards night held in the Munster Arms Hotel Bandon on the 11th March.

Bandon had a number of members in action at the Road Races. In the Girls U9 Casey O'Sullivan was 2nd with Lisa Lovell in 3rd. In the Girls U10 Claire Sexton was 1st with Aisling Everard 3rd. In the Boys U10 Eoin O'Brien was 2nd. In the Girls u12 Aoife Lucey was 4th and Anna O'Driscoll was 5th. In the Boys U12 Ciaran Everard was 1st with Jerry Crowley 3rd. In the Girls U14 Lorraine O'Brien was 1st. In the Boys U14 Mark Sugrue was 4th while in the Girls U16 Lynda O'Donovan was 1st. The Boys U16 saw a Bandon clean sweep, Shane Conway was 1st, Anthony Hennessy was 2nd with Barry O'Driscoll was 3rd. In the boys U20 John Hurley was 2nd with Michael Hurley 3rd and Ronan Duggan 4th. Others who ran well on the day included Ciara Everard, Liam O'Driscoll, Brian Everard, Fiona Duggan, Kate Toner, Aoibhean Harte, Meg O'Sullivan, Niamh Mulcahy, Elizabeth Prout, John Lucey, Tadgh O'Donovan and Jennifer Fielding. (Results)

In the second weekend of the Indoor Championships Bandon had a number of medal winners. In the Boys U11 Long Jump which was run on a pairs basis Bandon were 2^nd (Kerry Desmond and Fintan O’Shaughnessy) In the Girls U12 Lynn Bradfield won the Shot Putt. In the Boys U12 Great Okafar won the 60m while Mighty Okafar was 4th, Mighty was also 7^th in the Shot Putt. In the Girls U13 Joan Healy was 3rd in the 60m sprint and was 12th in the 800m, while Lorraine O'Brien was 7th in the 800m. Also in the Girls U13 Tracey Bradfield was 2nd in the Shot and 3rd in the Long Jump. In the Boys U13 Sipka O'Shaughnessy was just beaten on the line in the 800m and had to settle for 4th place. In the U13 Shot Putt Mark Sugrue was 2nd while Patrick McSweeney was 5th. In the relays, the Boys U11 team (Promise Okafar, Thomas McCarthy, Fintan O’Shaughnessy, Kerry Desmond) was 2^nd, the Boys U12 team (Mighty Okafor, Great Okafor, Ronan Sheehan, Kerry Desmond) was 3^rd and Girls U11 team (Clare Sexton, Laura McSweeney Aisling Everard, Amy O’Carroll,) was 5th.

Munster Schools Mountain Running Championships 2005, Mount Claragh, Millstreet, February 23rd
Bandon AC had a number of members in action for their schools recently in the Munster Mountain Running Competition. In the Junior Girls Linda O Donovan was 4th, Lorraine O Brien was 6th, Serena Cross was 9th Mairead Roche was 10th. All were representing Colaiste Na Toirbirthe which was 2nd in the team competition. In the Intermediate Boys, St Brogans College were 1st and they included 3 members of Bandon AC, John Hurley was 2nd, Michael Hurley was 3rd and Ronan Duggan was 6th. Patrick Hartnett was representing St Brogans College in the Senior Boys race and he was 3rd.

In the first weekend of the Juvenile Indoor Championships in Nenagh Bandon AC had 3 medal winners.

In the U17 age group Sarah Bradfield was second in the Shot Putt with a throw of 11.09 and Michelle Hayes was 3rd in the Long Jump with a jump of 4.39m. In the U18 age group Rachel Roche won the Shot Putt with a throw of 9.70m.

Bandon Athletic Club held its Second Annual Awards Night on Sat 5th Feb in the Bandon G.A.A. Pavilion. It was a very successful and enjoyable night with a number of awards being given out. Winner of the Best Overall Track and Field Athlete award was Rachel Roche while Lynda O'Donovan won the Best Overall Cross Country Athlete. Click here for a full list of winners and the sponsors. (Some Photo's)

A number of Bandon AC members were in action for Colaiste NaToirbhirte and they won 1st team prize in the 1st year girls race. Lorraine O'Brien was 4th, Ailis Crowley was 5th and Serena Cross was 10th.

AAI Masters Cross Country Championships, Tinryland, 30th January, 2005
In the women's race in the Masters National Cross Country Championships Camel Crowley finished 12th individual and was also on the Cork team which was 2nd in the Inter-County competition. Barbara Harte was 57th in the same race. In the Men's race Joe O'Sullivan finished 38th and was a scoring member of the Cork team which was 3rd in the Inter-County competition.

All-Ireland 'B' Cross Country Championships. Athlone. Sunday 23rd Jan
The first race of the day was the Girls U11 where Phil Healy was the first Bandon girl home in 86th place followed by Toni Chatterton (100th), Emma Lovell (104th) and Niamh Mulcahy (105th). In the Boys U11 there was just 2 from Bandon involved, David O'Brien ran a great race to finish in 42nd and just missed out on a place on the Cork team, Thomas McCarthy who was competing up an age group finished in 110th place. In the Girls U13 race Lorraine O'Brien ran a fantastic race and led the large field for 500m before eventually finishing an excellent 4th. Lorraine also won a Gold Inter-County medal as part of the Cork team. Joan Healy was next Bandon girl in 19th place and just missed out on a place on the Cork team. Ailis Crowley (30th), Joanne O'Regan (36th), Caroline Sugrue (55th), Elizabeth Prout (80th) Daniella Jackson (83th), made up the rest of the U13 team who were 4th in the Inter-Club competition narrowly losing out on a team Bronze. In the Boys U13 Sipka O'Shaughnessy finished just outside the individual medals in 15th place but won a Silver medal as part of the Cork team. Mark Sugrue was 48th, Patrick McSweeney 101st with Tadgh O'Donovan 103rd. All 4 of the U13 boys were competing outside their age group and will be eligible to compete in this age group next year as will Caroline, Daniella and Elizabeth from the U13 girls. In the U15 Girls race Mairead Roche finished in 44th place, Serena Cross was 66th, Valerie Lynch was 84th while Grace Lynch had to pull out due to injury. In the Boys U15 race Shane Conway was 30th, Anthony Hennessy (44th), Alan Coleman was 53rd while Colm Lehane had to pull out due to injury. The Boys U17 race was the last race with Bandon involvement and it proved to be the most successful race of the day, John and Michael Hurley were in the leading bunch for most of the race and finished in 16th and 18th place followed shortly by Pat Hartnett in 21st with Ronan Dugan in 24th. Considering John, Michael and Ronan will all be eligible to compete in this age group next year the team finished an excellent 2nd place in the Inter-Club competition while both John and Michael Hurley also won medals as part of the Cork team who were 2nd in the Inter-County competition. This was the first experience of a National Championship for many of the athletes and they will have enjoyed the experience of competing at this level. (Results) (Photos)

Mark Hanrahan (Leevale) quickly opened up a slight advantage in Bandon's New Year Day Road Race and he held the lead to the finish as he ran out winner in a time of 25min and 37 sec's with 22 seconds to spare over Cathal O'Connell (St Finbarr's) who was also 2nd last year. The first lady home was Mary Sweeney of St Finbarr's in a time of 30mins and 15 sec's with Ann-Marie Healy (Eagle) 2nd.
At the presentation of prizes John O'Donovan (Chairman Bandon AC) thanked all those who helped on the day including, Bandon Tyres for sponsoring of the event, John Walshe and Liam O'Brien for their help with the registrations and results, Bandon Gardai for traffic control, Bandon G.A.A. for the use of the premises, O'Donovan Electrical for the amplification, the local Red Cross and all who helped with the stewarding and catering and everybody else who helped make the day a success. (Detailed results) (Photos)